Tranmere Rovers boss Ronnie Moore pays tribute to Goodison

Aug 20 2008 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

TRANMERE boss Ronnie Moore paid tribute to the enduring qualities of Ian Goodison after the Jamaican international returned to the side to help Tranmere post a first victory of the season.

Goodison, pictured right, who missing from the first-week defeats at Swindon and Grimsby through suspension, was an influential figure at the heart of the back four during the 1-0 success over Hartlepool at Prenton Park.

Moore revealed that he wants his side to be the less reliant on the 35-year-old because they have won just one game out of eight in his absence during 2008. But the Prenton Park boss added that he enjoyed the benefits of Tranmere’s first clean sheet of the campaign.

Moore said: “It is uncanny the way things happen with Ian. He has been the man again. He won headers when he needed to and defended well when he had to. For me, he was the man of the match. Long may the clean sheets continue and I hope he does not get sent off any more.”

Goodison is to retain the club captaincy but the team captaincy for matches has been handed to Antony Kay. Moore believes Kay is better suited to the responsibilities of being the team’s mouthpiece in dialogue with referees this season.

Kay also has a new role in Tranmere’s tactical set up, moving out of his customary centre back position to operate in a deep lying midfield role.

Explaining the change, Moore said Kay was the ideal player to bring some defensive discipline into the midfield in Rovers’ 4-3-3 set up.

Moore added: “Kay knows what it is all about playing that role. He reads the game well and is good on the ball.

“We still have to get a little bit more discipline in midfield. Antony Kay is doing his job and we have the other two midfield players flying all over the place and not getting back in time.

“We have been like the Red Arrows and it’s not helped us. But it will come in time.”

Tranmere’s victory, secured by 23rd minute strike from Craig Curran, halted the momentum of Hartlepool, who scored seven goals in winning their opening two games against Colchester and Scunthorpe.

Moore said: “Overall, I think we had enough of the game to deserve to win it. The pleasing thing was the clean sheet in the way we got bodies in the way when people had shots. We blocked a lot of balls on the edge of our box.

“Craig Curran took his goal well. He hit it early so the goalkeeper was never set. We took some chances in the first half and dropped each other into trouble a few times. As much as I want us to play good football, there are areas where you have to be safe.”